NFL Draft: Commanders Add Offensive Line Competition in Tulsa's Chris Paul

The Commanders continue to add to their draft class.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 30, 2022

There's been a lot of movement for the Washington Commanders offensive line this offseason, but it took until the seventh round for the team to draft a young prospect to join the unit.

USATSI_17827768 — Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports

Chris Paul

Ron Rivera

With the 230th pick in the NFL Draft, the Commanders selected Tulsa offensive lineman Chris Paul, not to be confused with the Phoenix Suns Hall of Fame point guard.

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While offensive line was not one of the biggest needs for the Commanders during the draft this year, the team is able to add some depth and competition for the first team by selecting him.

Paul played right tackle for the Golden Hurricane this past season, but the 6-4, 331-pound lineman projects to be more of an interior lineman in the NFL due to his size.

Last year's Day 2 pick Sam Cosmi is expected to move inside to guard this season to replace veteran Ereck Flowers, and Andrew Norwell was signed to fill the void left by Brandon Scherff, who signed a large contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars at the start of free agency last month.

Sam Cosmi

Andrew Norwell

Saahdiq Charles

Paul is expected to challenge veterans Wes Schweitzer and Saahdiq Charles for their backup roles in training camp later this summer.

The Commanders have now added five offensive players to their draft class: Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson, Alabama running back Brian Robinson Jr., North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell, Nevada tight end Cole Turner and Paul.

Published Apr 30, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.